In the aftermath of the shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech, universities across the country have re-evaluated their safety procedures to prevent a tragedy on their own college grounds — including ours.

The recent lock downs of the campuses of Delaware State University and St. John’s University have once again put the subject of safety on college campuses in the nation’s news.

N.C. State University’s Department of Environmental, Health and Safety has been proactive and innovative in coming up with ideas to protect our campus community. The department is implementing the use of text messaging to notify individuals of incidents around the campus. Another feature the University is looking at is a campus wide alert system to make announcements to the public when warranted.

The efforts of the Department of Environmental, Health and Safety must be praised. The department’s approach to safety does not seek to restrict freedoms, but rather looks for new and creative solutions to problems — something the administration should look at when it comes to tailgating.

The administration overreacted after the tailgate shooting — the immediate reaction was to restrict and clamp down on students and failed to search for creative solutions to the problem. The Tailgating Task Force should reexamine current polices and follow the example Environmental, Health and Safety has set when dealing with safety.

Students are more receptive to change when fresh and imaginative ideas are implemented. Restrictions are the last thing administrators should consider when developing safety policy and procedures.

Safety is a serious matter; we all agree it’s something that must be carefully examined. The new efforts of Environmental, Health and Safety are a good starting point in an effort to make this campus safer.